What you need to know about using IUD contraceptives
Ayanda Thabethe is one of the woman who has shared her experience of using the popular method of contraceptive.
Millions of women around the world use Intrauterine Devices (IUDs) as a form of contraceptive.
IUDs are small devices placed in a woman's uterus to prevent pregnancy - they interrupt the process of insemination.
The procedure to put the IUD in usually takes less than 15 minutes and can be painful and uncomfortable.
Types of IUDs
There are two types of IUDs - the copper and hormonal.
According to Medical News Today, the copper damages sperm to prevent it from getting to the egg and it also creates an immune response that stops the development of healthy eggs and destroys any eggs that develop.
The hormonal, on the other hand, works by making the mucus on your cervix thicker and as a result, locks sperm so it can't get to an egg.
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Benefits
IUDs come with lots of benefits.
Some of the benefits of IUDs are that they are 99 percent effective at preventing pregnancy. According to Medical News Today, the hormones in the IUD may reduce the risk of some cancers, including cancer of the endometrium, which is the lining of the uterus.
IUDs prevent pregnancy for many years. They work for between three and ten years.
Mirena can prevent pregnancy for up to six years. Kyleena works for up to five years, Liletta works for as long as four years, and Skyla prevents pregnancy for up to three years.
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Experience
Like any other contraceptive, although IUDs are widely used and safe, not all women have good experiences with them.
South African media personality Ayanda Thabethe has shared her experience of using the Intrauterines device (IUDs) contraceptive on Twitter, saying it was horrific.
Thabethe was responding to a video that was posted by pumpkin spice x, where a woman was sharing how painful it was for her to get the IUD inserted into her uterus.
Thabethe says the IUD disappeared into her body and she had to undergo surgery to remove it.
"Tried this years ago… this thing disappeared in my body - had to get x-rays done and ultimately surgery to get it out. Yho women go through the mostest," she wrote on Twitter.
See the post below and the responses from other women about their experiences.
This sounds like HELL????? pic.twitter.com/oiQD974YvL
— pumpkin spice x (@AmariBailey) November 7, 2021
Image courtesy of iStock/ @Mariakray